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Jets keep the WIN in Winnipeg!

Jets keep the WIN in Winnipeg!

Mon. May. 14/18

Joanne Elves

What’s flying faster than the Winnipeg Jets? Jet’s-themed merchandise off the shelves of every shelf, hat rack and hanger in Winnipeg. As the NHL team from the smallest market heads to game two of the Round 3 match-up with the Vegas Golden Knights, the city planted around Portage and Main prepares for enormous crowds.

The amount of people flocking to the Whiteout Street Party has the city bracing for the impact and are now limiting the numbers by issuing tickets through Ticketmaster.

"We needed to find a way to make sure that people don't get disappointed and we needed to make sure that we could keep everybody safe and make sure that we could manage the crowds that we know want to be there tomorrow," president of Economic Development Winnipeg Dayna Spiring said to CBC reporter Elisha Dacey during a news conference Friday.

At least 15,000 tickets will be available for the Whiteout Street Party each game and if needed more tickets will come available. While some fans may be disappointed, others will be relived to know the party will be a controlled environment that the entire family can enjoy.

“Actually, for tonight’s home game, the city has given out 37,000 tickets to eliminate the scalpers who swooped in and took many of the tickets for the last event,” says Dave Barr, long-time Jet’s fan and retired Fire Captian. “People will be lining up at bars, restaurants and the Whiteout Street Party by 4:30 for the game. I’m impressed with how the city, the police, and True North Entertainment are so organized.”

If a street party 2700 km away from the game isn’t what people want, they can drive 26 hours to Vegas OR, hop on a plane. Westjet is adding extra non-stop flights between Winnipeg and Vegas during the play-offs. Air Canada is boosting the size of the planes connecting Jets fans in cities like Calgary and Edmonton. And even American Airlines is in on the party. They are adding flights to get fans from Grand Forks North Dakota to Vegas.

So how are the fans reacting? The Jets’ have not seen second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since 1987 so they are long overdue for a celebration.

Dressing as a jet with blue plastic planes glued to bedazzled jerseys and dressing as the Stanley Cup has some fans working all day in preparation for the evening event. Others are happy with a ball cap with the emblem proudly planted on their heads.

“The enthusiasm this city has for it’s team is phenomenal. A delivery truck went by this morning covered in Jets motifs with a 4 by 6-foot flag billowing off the back,” says Barr.

Some…no wait…EVERY BAR for miles around Winnipeg. NO WAIT….EVERY BAR IN CANADA will have every TV dialed in for the game. Yeah, the Winnipeg Jets are Canada’s team now. Let the whiteout begin! GOOOOOOO JETS!